Team Golden Reef
by Master Huytin
Summary: A fic introducing my (mostly) original team Golden Reef of Australia. An AI Football GGO fanfic.


**Team Golden Reef**

**A/N- This is just a short story featuring one of my original teams. This one will feature in at least the GGO Football International Tournament, and actually features a character whom one may recall if they stretch their memory- the blond bully guy from the very first episode who Myth debuted against.**

**To be honest, I'm not sure he was given any other name than 'Blond Gorilla', so I will give him the name Barry for the purposes of all my stories which feature him. If someone knows his dub name, please feel free to remind me in a review or PM.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

The stands erupted as the last minute strike found the back of the net. Barry actually jumped around in joy for the first time in his life. He could hardly believe his eyes, and neither could his friends.

"Time up! The Eurasia Champions are... TEAM GOLDEN REEF!"

_-Flashback-_

_Barry watched as Team Barefoot's Myth drew out one of the most powerful strikes GGO Football had ever seen. A blue dragon appeared, an, no matter what the Name of Devils' defenders tried to do, they couldn't stop it. The dragon tore through the goal and buried itself in the wall, leaving behind the mangled GGO Footballers who had seemed unbeatable just a few minutes before._

_There was a moment of silence in the air. Nobody could believe it, and Barry felt his jaw drop. But then, the stands erupted into cheers. It had been an incredible match- one for the ages without doubt; the young Team Barefoot had climbed the ultimate wall and won the national championship._

"_There it is! Team Barefoot's Myth scores an absolutely incredible shot to win it for the team! Barefoot are now the champions of China, and they will be representing the country in the forthcoming Four Nations' Cup! Unbelievable!"_

_Barry rubbed his eyes. This was not the team which had started the second half. This was not the team which had had a practice match with them just a few days ago. And this was most definitely not the wimpy Satellite and clumsy Titan which he had bullied just a few months prior. Throughout the game, throughout the tournament, Team Barefoot had morphed incredibly. _

_The unstoppable Signature Moves. The genius game plans. This was what it meant to be strong. Yet, Barry thought, they don't look the part at all. Timmy was still a fat blob, and Karl was still a runt. Isaac was still a skinny twerp and Shawn looked like he belonged in one of those dusty old places called libraries. But they had overcome every challenge- where every other team had given up._

_~End Flashback~_

Barry somewhat smiled as he thought back to that time. That had been the start of his own GGO Football journey.

_~Flashback~_

"_Sorry guys, this is it. I'm out."_

"_What? You're our leader! What about all those runts we beat to a pulp? You know better than anyone how fun it is!"_

"_I did. But I regret it now. This gang stuff isn't for me anymore."_

"_You see that, guys? Fatboy Barry here is chickening out on us! What drugs do you think he's on?"_

_Barry sighed as he saw the rest of the gang snickering and making mocking faces at him. That is, except his four best friends. His right hand man, Keith, and their three best friends Liam, Mason and Logan. They stood there grimly and silently, but it seemed that they were supporting Barry in his decision. He was more grateful to them in that moment than he had ever been for anybody before._

"_You gonna walk out, boss?! What about all those kids you crushed? What're you gonna do when their parents come to your door?! What're you gonna do when your parents find out you were in a gang?" Barry winced at the mention of the boys he had beaten up. He felt so guilty, and wondered how he would ever repay them. But he set his jaw in determination._

"_I will repent for what I have done. How I do it is none of you guys' business!" _

"_Oh, really?! How sad!"_

_Then they circled around him, blocking all the exits to the alleyway._

"_You know what, boss? I always thought we couldn't beat you. But now, it turns out you're a coward! A coward! We'll stamp on you like the goody goody two-shoes you are!"_

_Barry sighed in defeat. He deserved it, for all those boys he had beaten up… It was the least he could-_

"_No."_

"_Eh?"_

"_I said no. You will not hurt our friend."_

"_What? You too, Keith? Did Fatboy here give you a whiff of his drug?"_

"_Nope. We will stand by him. Right, Logan, Liam, Mason?" _

"_Yeah."_

_Barry watched with his mouth agape. He had not expected that. But he knew now that the person who had tried to beat him up wouldn't try anymore. They were the five best fighters in the gang, and, even without Barry, the other four would wipe the floor with the rest in no time._

"_Hmph! We'll be nice this time and let you through. But here's a warning: don't come near here again! Or-or... w-we'll crush you! B-Bye, losers!"_

_Barry didn't bother to answer. He walked away, with Liam, Mason, Keith and Logan alongside him._

"_Did I make the right decision?" The other four nodded, and Keith answered._

"_Yes. I think so. To be honest we were all restless there anyway."_

"_Yep." The other three chimed in. There was a long silence, before…_

"_Hey, do you guys wanna start a GGO Football team?" The other four looked surprised, but this time they all answered simultaneously._

"_Yeah!" but Keith knew better._

"_But first…"_

_Barry finished him off, saying, "We will watch Team Barefoot play the World Championships."_

_~ End Flashback ~_

For so long he had thought that because he was tall and beefy he could get what he wanted. His relatives petted him, telling him how strong he was, and he pushed around everybody else easily. But it had actually been, though he had never admitted it since, the result of bullying: when he was just 6 years old all his classmates had run away from him, calling him a 'big, hairy monster'. It sounded stupid now, but it had left its mark, and by the time he transferred to China he began to impose himself on all the other students, soon creating his own petty gang which stole lunches and pocket money left right and centre.

But Barefoot had shown him a different way. A way where one did not care how others saw him, and was just the best person they could be. After losing to Team Barefoot, he had cursed them and watched every game, hoping to get a good laugh out of their loss. But they just kept winning (except in the Mirror game, which Barry found did not actually amuse him for that long- especially with the next game happening very soon afterwards), and winning. Soon he had switched sides. He was supporting them, and every move they made towards success felt liberating and inspiring for him.

So he followed them to Germany, and watched their matches in the Four Nations' Cup. Even though they didn't win any games, he watched them take their losses with dignity, humility, and, above all a cheerfulness fuelled by the will to do better next time.

And then had come the World Championships. He could not attend, but watched every second of it. He remembered when Team BiO appeared. He had clenched his fists- as had his four friends watching with him- and Mason nearly broke the TV before he had been stopped by Logan. But the rest is history- and soon Barefoot had done it.

They had celebrated through the whole night. Nobody knows how they did it, but somehow Team Barefoot had united four ex-gangsters under their banner, and to be honest nobody minded. Barry remembered what he had said at the end of that night.

"_Okay guys, now it's our turn."_

**A/N- There you go! I hope you enjoyed that, and perhaps I should clear up something. Barry, Keith, Logan, Mason and Liam are all Australian students who went to China (without their parents) on a prolonged exchange program; well, to be fair, 'Barry' hardly looks Chinese. They returned to Australia, where they became the Eurasia champions with their Team Golden Reef. Now, time for them to compete in the GGO Football International Cup!**

**I hope you enjoyed!**


End file.
